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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) II.: THE PLOWMANS TALE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces)
II.: THE PLOWMANS TALE. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces) [1897]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols.
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II.
THE PLOWMANS TALE.
Here beginneth the Plowmans Prologue.
From Thynne (ed. 1542). I give rejected spellings.
-
- THE plucked up his ,
- Whan midsommer mone was comen in,
- And sayd, ‘his beestes shuld ,
- And in the grasse, up to the ;
- They ben feble, both oxe and ,5
- Of hem nis left but and .’
- He of share, and cultre ,
- And his harneys on a .
-
- He his tabard and his eke,
- And on his, heed he set his hat;10
- And sayde, he wolde saynt Thomas seke,
- On he goth forth .
- In scrippe he both breed and lekes,
- He was forswonke and all ;
- Men might have through both his chekes,15
- And every wang-toth and where it sat.
-
- Our hoste all about,
- And this man was sunne y-brent;
- He well by his senged ,
- And by his clothes that were to-rent,20
- He was a man wont to walke about,
- He nas nat alway in cloystre y-pent;
- He not religiousliche ,
- And therfore was he shent.
-
- Our host him axed, ‘what man art thou?’25
- ‘Sir,’ quod he, ‘I am an hyne;
- For I am wont to go to the ,
- And erne my yer that I dyne.
- To swete and swinke I make ,
- My and children therwith to ,30
- And servë god, and I wist ;
- But we men blynd.
-
- For clerkes saye, we shullen be
- For lyvelod and swinke,
- And they right nought us give ,35
- Neyther to ne yet to drinke.
- mowe by lawë, as they ,
- Us curse and dampne to brinke;
- Thus they putten us to ,
- With candles queynt and belles clinke.40
-
- They make us thralles at lust,
- And , we mowe nat els be saved;
- They have the and we the dust,
- Who ther-agayn, they say he raved.’[ ]
-
- ‘What, man,’ quod our host, ‘canst thou ?45
- Come , and tell us some holy .’
- ‘Sir,’ quod he, ‘I herde
- A prest in pulpit a good .’
- ‘ on,’ quod our host, ‘I beseche.’
- ‘Sir, I am redy at your bidding.50
- I you that me reproche
- that I am my tale .
Thus endeth the prologue, and here foloweth the first part of the tale.
Colophon: fyrst parte.
PART I.
-
- A STERNË is stered newe[ ]
- In many stedes in a stounde,
- Of sondry sedes that sewe;55
- It semeth that som ben unsounde.
- For some be growen † ,
- Some souple , simple and small;
- Whether of hem is falser founde,
- The falser, mote him befall!60
-
- That syde is, that I of tell,
- Popes, cardinals, and prelates,
- Parsons, monkes, and fell,
- Priours, abbottes of estates;
- Of and hell they kepe the yates,65
- And Peters successours they ben all;
- This is demed by oldë dates;
- But falshed, it befall!
-
- The other syde ben poore and pale,
- And people put [ ] out of ;70
- And semë sore a-cale ,
- And ever in without ,
- † lollers and ;[ ]
- Who toteth on hem, they untall.[ ]
- They ben arayed all for the ;75
- But falshed, mote it befall!
-
- Many a countrey have I sought,
- To the falser of these two;
- But ever my was for nought,
- All so as I have go.80
- But as I wandred in a wro ,
- In a besyde a wall,
- Two foules I sitte tho;
- The falser, foul mote him befall!
-
- That did plede on the Popes syde,85
- A Griffon of a stature.
- A Pellicane withouten pryde[ ]
- To these lollers layde his lure;
- He mused his matter in ,
- To Christ ever gan he call.90
- The Griffon shewed as as fyre,
- But falshed, mote it befall!
-
- The Pellican began to
- Both of mercy and of ;
- And sayd, that “Christ so gan us ,95
- And meke and merciable gan .
- The Evangely
- A , he Christ over-all,
- In that he mekest was,
- Sith pryde was out of heven fall.100
-
- And so shulde every Christned be;
- Preestes, Peters successours,
- Beth and of degree,
- And usen none erthly honours,
- Neyther , ne curious ,105
- Ne † , ne other proudë pall;[ ]
- Ne nought to cofren up ;
- For falshed, mote it befall!
-
- for no cattel plede,
- But chasten hem in charitè;110
- Ne to no batail men lede
- For inhaunsing of degree;
- Nat wilnë in see,
- Ne in ne hall;
- All worldly defye and flee;115
- For willeth highnes, fall!
-
- Alas! who may sayntes call
- That wilneth welde honour?
- As lowe as Lucifer fall,
- In baleful blacknesse ;120
- That eggeth the people to errour,
- And maketh thrall;
- To Christ I suche traytour,
- As lowe as Lucifer fall.
-
- That willeth to be kinges ,125
- And hygher than the emperour;
- Some that were but
- wollen waxe a warryour.
- God is nat governour,[ ]
- That holdeth his †peragall ;130
- covetyse is counsaylour,
- All falshed nedë fall.
-
- That hye on horse willeth ryde
- In golde of ,
- I-paynted and portred all in pryde;135[ ]
- No knight go so .
- Chaunge of clothing every ,
- With golden girdles and small;
- As boystous as is bere at ;
- All falshed nedë fall.140
-
- With prydë † the pore,
- And somë they with sale;
- Of holy churche maketh an hore,
- And filleth wombe with wyne and ale;
- With money filleth many a male,145
- And chaffren churches when they fall,
- And telleth the people a tale;
- falsë faytours, !
-
- With chaunge of many maner ,
- With and solace ,150
- And filleth wombë, and fast fretes,
- And from the to the ;
- And after with and ,
- And man hem lordes call;
- And hotë spyces ever ;155
- falsë faytours, !
-
- And myters mo than or two,
- I-perled as the quenes heed;
- A of golde, and †perrey , lo!
- As hevy as it were of ;160
- With cloth of both newe and ,
- With †gown as grene as gall,
- By dome will dampnë men to deed;
- All suche faytours, !
-
- And Christes people proudly curse165
- With brode bokes, and braying bell;
- To putte pennyes in purse
- They woll sell both heven and ;
- And in sentence, and thou wilt dwell,
- They willen gesse in hall;170
- And though the soth thou of hem tell,
- In cursinge shalt thou fall.
-
- That is blessed, that they blesse,
- And cursed, that they cursë woll;
- And thus the people they oppresse,175
- And have their lordshippes at full;
- And many be marchauntes of woll,
- And to purse penyes woll come thrall;[ ]
- The people they all to-pull,
- falsë faytours, hem fall!180
-
- Lordes motë to hem loute,
- Obeysaunt to brode blessing;
- They ryden with royall route
- On a courser, as it were a ;
- With saddle of golde 185
- With curious harneys quayntly crallit ,
- Styroppes gaye of ;[ ][ ]
- All suche falshed, befall it!
-
- Christes ministers † they ,
- And rulen all in robberye;190
- But Antichrist they serven clene,
- Attyred all in tyrannye;
- Witnesse of Johns prophecye,
- That is admirall,[ ]
- Tiffelers attyred in trecherye;195
- All suche faytours, hem fall!
-
- Who sayth, that some of hem may sinne,
- He shal be † to be deed;[ ]
- Some of hem woll gladly winne
- All ayenst that god forbed;200
- “All-holyest ” they clepen heed,
- That of rulë is regall;
- Alas! that ever they eten breed;
- For all falshed woll fall.
-
- heed loveth all honour,205
- And to be worshipped in worde and dede;
- Kinges to hem knele and coure;
- To the apostles, that Christ ;[ ]
- To popes hestes taketh more hede
- Than to kepe Christes commaundëment;210
- Of gold and silver ben wede,
- They holdeth him hole omnipotent.[ ]
-
- He ordayneth by his ordinaunce[ ]
- To parish-preestes a powére;
- To another a avaunce,215
- A poynt to his mystere;
- But for he is hyghest in erth here,
- To him reserveth he many a poynt;
- But to Christ, that hath no pere,
- Reserveth he neither opin ne joynt.220[ ]
-
- So semeth he above[n] all,
- And Christ aboven him nothing;
- Whan he sitteth in his stall,
- Dampneth and saveth as him .
- pryde tofore god doth ;225
- An angell bad John to him nat knele,
- But only to god do his ;
- Such willers of worship fele.
-
- They ne clepen Christ but sanctus deus,
- And clepen her heed Sanctissimus;230
- They that ,
- I trowe, they taken hem amisse.
- In erth[ë] here they have blisse,
- hye master is Belial;
- † people from hem wisse!235[ ]
- For all falsë will fall!
-
- They mowë both[ë] binde and lose,
- And all is for holy ;
- To save or dampne they mowë chose,
- Betwene hem now [ ] is .240
- Many a man is killed with ,
- To wete which of hem have lordship shall;
- For , Christ suffred woundes fyve;
- For all falshed will fall.
-
- Christ sayd: Qui gladio percutit245[ ]
- With swerdë shall [ ] dye;
- He bad his preestes and grith,
- And hem not drede for to dye;
- And bad them be both simple and slye,
- And carkë not for no cattall,250
- And † on god that sitteth on hye;
- For all shull foul fall.
-
- These wollen makë men to swere
- Ayenst Christes commaundëment;
- And Christes membres all to-tere255[ ]
- On as he wer newe y-rent.
- Suche lawes they make by assent,
- it choweth as a ball;
- Thus the be fully shent,
- But ever falshed foule it † !260
-
- They usen [ ] no symonye,
- But sellen churches and prioryes;
- Ne [ ] they usen no envye,
- But cursen all hem contraryes;[ ]
- And hyreth men by dayes and yeres265
- With strength to holde hem in stall;
- And culleth all adversaryes;
- Therefor, falshed! thou !
-
- With purse they purchase personage,
- With purse they paynen hem to plede;270
- And men of warrë they woll wage,
- To bringe enemyes to the dede.
- And lordes lyves they woll lede,
- And moche take, and give but small;
- But he it so get, from it shall shede,275[ ]
- And make such falsë right fal!
-
- They halowe nothing but for hyre,
- Churchë, font, ne vestëment;
- And make[n] orders in every shyre,
- But preestes paye for the parchement;280
- Or ryatours they taken rent ,
- Therwith they smere the skall;[ ]
- For many churches ben suspent;
- All falshed, yet it fall!
-
- Some liveth nat in lecherye,285
- But haunten wenches, widdowes, and wyves,
- And punisheth the for putrye;
- Them-selfe it useth all their lyves.
- And but a man to them [ ] shryves,
- To heven comë never he shall;290
- He shal be cursed as be captyves,
- To hell they that he shall fall.
-
- There was more mercy in Maximien ,
- And in Nero, that never was good,
- Than [ ] is in some of †295
- Whan he hath on his furred .
- They folowe Christ that shedde his [ ]
- To heven, as in-to the ;
- Suche wreches ben worse than ;
- And all faytours, foule hem fall!300
-
- They give almesse to the riche,
- maynteynours, and men of lawe;
- For to lordes they woll be liche,
- An harlottes nat an hawe!
- Sothfastnessë suche han slawe,305[ ]
- They kembe with ;[ ]
- And drede of god they have drawe;
- All suche faytours, hem fall!
-
- They maken parsons for the penny,
- And canons of cardinals;310
- Unnethes amongest hem all any
- That he ne hath glosed the gospell fals!
- For Christ made never no cathedrals,
- Ne with him was no cardinall
- Wyth a hatte as usen mynstrals;315
- But mote it befall!
-
- † tything, and offring both,
- They it by possessio[u]n;
- Thérof nill they none forgo,
- But robben men as .320
- The tything of Turpe lucrum[ ]
- With these maisters is meynall ;
- Tything of bribry and larson
- Will makë falshed full !
-
- They taken to fermë sompnours325[ ]
- To harme the people what they may;
- To pardoners and false faytours
- Sell , I well say;
- And all to holden array,
- To multiply hem more metall,330
- They drede full litell domes day
- Whan all shall fall.
-
- Suche harlottes shull men disclaunder[ ]
- For they shullen make ,
- And ben as proude as Alexaunder,335
- And to the , “wo be ye!”
- By yere shall paye his fee
- To his lemmans call ;
- Suche shull well yvell ,
- And all falsë shull fall!340
-
- And if a man be famed,
- And woldë make purgacioun,
- Than woll the officers be agramed,
- And assigne him fro to ;
- So nede he must[e] paye 345
- Though he be clene as is ,
- And than have an absolutioun;
- But all falsë shull fall!
-
- Though he be of the dede,
- And that he money pay,350
- All the whyle his purse woll blede
- He use it fro day to day!
- These bishoppes officers full gay,
- And this game they usen over-all;
- The to pill is all † pray;355
- All falsë shull fall!
-
- Alas! god ordayned never lawe,
- Ne no of covetyse;
- He it, by his sawe,
- governours mowen of god agryse;360
- For all his rules † rightwyse.
- These newe poyntes ben pure papall,
- And goddes lawë they ;
- And all faytours shul fall!
-
- They that Peter had the key365
- Of and hell, to have and ;
- I trowe Peter no money
- For no sinnes that he !
- successours ben to ,
- In winning all their they wrall;370
- Hir conscience is waxen ;
- And all faytours, foule hem fall!
-
- Peter was never so great a fole
- To his key with such a lorell,
- Or to take cursed a tole375
- He was advysed nothing well.
- I trowe, they have the key of hell;
- † maister is of that place marshall;
- For there they dressen hem to dwell,
- And with there to fall.380
-
- They ben as proude as ,
- As angry, and as envious;
- From good they ben full ,
- In covetyse they ben curious;
- To catche catell as covytous385
- As , that for woll yall;
- Ungoodly, and ;
- And nedely, falshed shal fall!
-
- The pope, and he were Peters ,
- Me , he erreth in this ,390
- Whan choyse of bishoppes is in ,
- To chosen hem in dyvers place;
- A shall write to him for grace,
- For his clerke † he shall;
- So shall he spede[n] his ;395
- And all falsë, hem fall!
-
- Though he † no more good,
- A lordes prayer shal be ;
- Though he be of will or wood,
- Nat understanding what men han ,400
- A , and (that god forbede!)
- As good a my Ball,[ ]
- Suche a pope is foule ,
- And at
Here endeth the first part of this tale, and herafter foloweth the seconde part.
PART II.
-
- TO accorde with this wordë “fal”[ ]
- No more English can I ;
- Shewe another I shall,
- For I have moche to ,480
- preestes han the people ,
- As curteys Christ hath me ,
- And this matter in my
- To make this maner men .
-
- Shortly to shende hem, and shewe 485
- wrongfully they worche and walke;
- O hye god, nothing they , ne ,[ ]
- But in goddes many a balke.
- In hernes holde hem and in halke,
- And prechin of tythes and ,490[ ]
- And untruely of the gospell talke;
- For his mercy, god it !
-
- What is Antichrist to
- But evin Christes adversáry?
- ben many a day495
- To Christes bidding full contráry,
- That from the trouthë clenë ;
- Out of the wayë they ben ;
- And Christes people untruely cary;
- God, for his , it !500
-
- That liven contráry to Christes ,
- In hye pride agaynst mekenesse;
- Agaynst they usen ,
- And angre ayenst sobrenesse;
- Agaynst , wilfulnesse;505
- To Christes tales litell ;
- Agaynst , outragiousnesse;
- But whan god woll, it !
-
- Lordly ayenst lowlinesse,
- And demin all without mercy;510
- And covetyse ayenst largesse,
- Agaynst trewth[e], trechery;
- And agaynst almesse, envy;
- Agaynst Christ they .
- For chastitè, they lechery;515
- God, for his gracë, this !
-
- Ayenst penaunce they use ,
- Ayenst suffraunce, defence;
- Ayenst god they use yvel rightes,
- , punishments ;[ ]520
- Open yvell ayenst continence;
- wicked winning ;
- Sobrenesse they sette in-to dispence;
- But god, for his goodnesse, it !
-
- Why they his powére,525
- And wranglen ayenst all his hestes?
- His living folowen they nothing here,
- But liven than beestes.
- Of fish and they loven feestes,
- As lordes, they ben brode ;530
- Of goddes they haten gestes;[ ]
- God, for his mercy, this !
-
- With † shall have
- That that they be Christes frendes,
- And do nothing as they ;535
- All ben falser than ben fendes.
- On the people they ley bendes,
- As god is in erthe, they han ;
- Sucour for suchë Christ sende us,
- And, for his mercy, this !540
-
- A token of Antichrist they be.
- His careckes ben wyde ;
- Receyved to preche shall no man be
- Without[ë] token of him, I .
- Christen preest to prechen ,545
- From god abovë they ben .
- Goddes to all to show,
- Sinfull man for to .
-
- Christ sente the for to preche;
- The royall riche he did nat so;550
- no the people teche,
- For Antichrist is over-all .
- the people he go;
- He hath bidden, all ;
- Some hath he , and thinketh yet mo;555
- But all this god may well
-
- All tho that han the forsake,
- And liven , as god ,
- In-to prison shullen be take,
- Betin and bounden, and .560
- Herof I rede no man be ;
- Christ sayd, his [ ] shulde be ;
- man ought herof be ;
- For god ful well it woll .
-
- They take on hem royáll powére,565
- And saye, they havë swerdes two,
- curse to hell, slee men here;[ ]
- For at his taking Christ had no mo,
- Yet Peter had of tho.
- But Christ to Peter. smyte gan ,570
- And in-to the sheth putte it tho;
- And all mischeves god !
-
- Christ Peter kepe his ,
- And with his swerde him smyte;
- is no tole with to kepe575[ ]
- But to shep[h]erdes that woll byte.
- Me thinketh, suche shep[h]erdes ben to wyte
- Ayen with that ;
- They dryve with dispyte;
- But al this god may well .580
-
- So successours to Peter be they nought
- Whom [ ] Christ madë ;
- A no shep[h]erde usen ought
- But he wold slee as a .
- For who-so were Peters successour585
- bere his till his ,
- And shadowe hem from every ;
- And all this god may wel .
-
- Successours to Peter ben these
- In that that Peter Christ ,590
- That had lever the love of god [ ] lese
- Than a shep[h]erde had lese his .
- He culleth the as ;
- Of hem [ ] taken the woll untrend ,
- And falsely glose the ;595
- God, for his mercy, † !
-
- After Christ had take Peter the kay,
- Christ sayd, he mustë dye for man;
- That Peter to Christ gan withsay;
- Christ him, ‘go , Sathan!’600
- counsaylours many of these men han
- For worldes wele, god to ;
- Peters successours they ben for-than,
- But all god may well .
-
- For Sathan is to say no more605
- But he that to Christ is;
- In this they lernë Peters lore,
- They sewen him whan he did ;
- They folowe Peter forsothe in this,
- In al that Christ wolde †reprende ,610
- in that that longeth to ;
- God for his mercy hem !
-
- Some of the apostels they sewen in ,
- Of ought that I can understonde,
- Him that betrayed Christ, Judas,615
- That the purse in every londe;
- And al that he might sette on honde,
- He hidde and , and ;
- His rule these traytours han in honde;
- Almighty god [ ] hem !620
-
- And at last his lord gan tray
- Cursedly, through covetyse;
- So wolde these trayen him for money,
- And they wisten in what wyse!
- They be seker of the selfe ensyse ;625
- From all sothnesse they ben ;[ ]
- And covetyse chaungen with queyntyse;
- Almighty god all suche !
-
- Were Christ on erthë here ,
- These wolde dampnë him to dye;630
- All his hestes they han ,
- And , his sawes ben heresy;
- his †maundëments they ,
- And dampne all his to be ;
- For it lyketh nat hem, losengery;635
- God almighty hem !
-
- These han more might in here
- Than hath the and all his lawe,
- They han purchased hem powére
- To taken hem whom nat knawe;640
- And say, that heresy is sawe,
- And so to woll hem ;[ ]
- It was nat so by elder dawe,
- God, for his mercy, it !
-
- The kinges lawe wol no man deme[ ]645
- Angerliche, withouten answere;
- But, if any man these misqueme,
- He shal be as a bere;
- And yet wel they woll him tere,
- And in woll hem 650
- In gyves, and in other gere;
- Whan god woll, it .
-
- The king taxeth nat his men
- But by of the comminaltè;
- But these, yere, woll raunsom hem655
- Maysterfully, more than doth he;
- , by yerë, better be
- Than is the kinges in ;
- Hir officers han gretter fee;
- But this god !660
-
- For who-so woll prove a testament
- Thát is natt all ,
- He shall paye for the parchëment
- The of the money all .
- Thus the people is ,665
- They to hem shulde ;
- There as they grypen, it to ;
- God, for his mercy, it !
-
- A simple ,
- Twenty he shall ;670
- And than have an ,
- And al the yere usen it he !
- Thus they letten hem go a-stray,
- They recke nat though the be ;
- These kepin yvell Peters key,675
- And all shep[h]erdes god !
-
- Wonder is, that the parliament
- And all the lordes of this
- Here-to taken so litell entent
- To helpe the people out of ;680
- For they ben harder in † ,[ ]
- and [ ] bitter
- Than to the king is ;
- God him helpe this to !
-
- What bisshoppes, what 685
- Han in this lande as ,
- Lordshippes, and possessio[u]ns
- More than the lordes, it semeth me!
- That maketh hem lese charitè,
- They mowë nat to god ;690
- In erthe they have so degree,
- God, for his mercy, it !
-
- The emperour yaf the pope somtyme
- So hyghe lordship him ,
- That, at [ ] laste, the sely kyme ,695
- The proudë popë putte him out!
- So of this realme is in ,
- But lordes be ware and † ;
- For these be wonder ,
- The and lordes this !700
Thus endeth the seconde part of this tale, and herafter foloweth the thirde.
PART III.
-
- MOYSES lawe it tho,
- That preestes no lordshippes welde,
- Christes gospel biddeth also
- Thát they no helde;
- Ne Christes apostels were never so 705
- No to † enbrace;
- But smeren and kepe ;
- God amende hem for his grace!
-
- For they ne ben but ,
- Men may knowe hem by ;710
- gretnesse maketh hem god ,
- And take his mekenesse in .
- And they were and had but lyte,
- They nolde nat demen after the face,
- But norishe , and hem nat byte;715
- God amende hem for his grace!”
-
- Grifon.
- “What canst thou preche ayenst chanons
- Thát men clepen seculere?”
- Pelican. “They ben curates of many towns,
- On erthë they have powére.720
- They han prebendes and dere,
- Some two or , and some [ ] mo,
- A personage to ben a ,[ ]
- And yet they serve the also;
-
- And to fermë all that fare725[ ]
- To whom that woll most give therfore;[ ]
- Some woll spende, and some woll spare,
- And some woll laye it up in store.
- A cure of they care nat ,
- Só they mowë money take;730
- Whether soules be wonne or lore,
- they woll nat forsake.
-
- They have a gedering procuratour
- That can the people enplede,
- And robben hem as a ravinour,735
- And to his the money lede;
- And of quicke and eke of dede,
- And richen him and his eke,
- And to robbe the can give good rede
- Of olde and yonge, of hole and .740
-
- Therwith they purchase hem lay-fee
- In londë, there hem lyketh best,
- And builde † brode as a citè
- Both in the est, and eke in the west.
- To purchase thus they ben ful prest;745
- But on the they woll nought ,
- Ne no good give to goddes gest,
- Ne sende him some that all hath .[ ]
-
- By service woll live,
- And trusse that other in-to ;750
- Though all dye unshrive,
- They woll nat give a .
- be as a mirrour
- Bothe to lered and to leude also,
- And teche the people labour;755
- mister men ben all misgo.
-
- Some of hem ben hardë nigges,
- And some of hem ben proude and gay;
- Some spende hir good upon [ ] gigges ,
- And finden hem of aray.760[ ]
- Alas! what these men to say
- That thus dispenden goddis good?
- At the domes day
- shul be worse than wood.
-
- Some churc[h]es never ne sye,765
- Ne never o peny thider ne sende;
- Though the parishens for dye,
- O peny on hem wil they nat spende.
- Have they receivinge of the ,
- They never of the remënant;770
- Alas! the devill hath clene hem blent!
- Suche is Sathanas sojournant.
-
- And usen and harlotry,[ ]
- Covetysë, pompe, and pride,
- Slouthë, wrathe, and eke envy,775
- And sewen sinne by every syde.
- Alas! where thinkë ?
- woll they accomptes ?
- From god they hem nat hyde,
- willers is nat worth a .780[ ]
-
- They ben so roted in richesse,
- That Christes povert is ,
- Served with so many messe,
- Hem thinketh that manna is no mete.
- All is good that they ,785
- They wenë to live evermore;
- But, whan god at dome is ,
- is a feble store.
-
- Unneth they matins ,
- For counting and for ;790
- And yet he jangleth as a ,[ ]
- And understont .
- He woll serve bothe and
- For his fynding and his fee,
- And hyde his and his ;795
- This is a feble charitè.
-
- Other they ben proude, or coveytous,
- Or they ben harde, or [ ] hungry,
- Or they ben liberall or lecherous,
- Or els medlers with marchandry;800
- Or maynteyners of men with maistry,
- Or stewardes, countours, or pledours,
- And serve god in hypocrisy;
- Such preestes ben Christes traytours!
-
- They ben false, they ben vengeable,805
- And begylen men in Christes name;
- They ben unstedfast and unstable;
- To tray , hem thinketh no shame.
- To servë god they ben full lame,
- Goddes theves, and falsly stele;810
- And goddes defame;
- In winning is worldes wele.
-
- Antichrist these serven all;
- I pray , who may say [ ] nay?
- With Antichrist shull fall,815
- They folowen him in dede and fay;
- They servin him in riche array,
- To servë Christ ;
- Why, at the domes day,
- Shull they not folowe him to ?820
-
- That knowen , that they ill
- Ayenst Christes commaundëment,
- And amende hem never ne will,
- But serve Sathan by one assent.
- Who sayth [ ] sothe, he shal be shent,825
- Or speketh ayenst living;
- Who-so well liveth shal be brent ,
- For ben gretter than the king!
-
- Pope, bishoppes, and cardinals,
- Chanons, persons, and ,830
- In goddes service, I , ben ,
- That sacramentës sellen here.
- And ben as proude as Lucifere;
- man loke whether that I !
- powére,835
- It shall be holden heresy.
-
- Loke many orders take
- of , for his servyce,
- That the worldes goodes forsake?
- Who-so taketh orders † other wyse,840
- I , that they shall sore agryse!
- For all the glose that they conne,
- All sewen not this [ ] assyse;
- In yvell tyme they thus bigonne.
-
- Loke many hem all845
- Holden not this hyë !
- With Antichrist they shullen fall,
- For they wolden god .
- God amende hem, that best !
- For many men they maken shende;850
- They weten well, the sothe I ,
- Bút the divell hath foule hem .
-
- Some churches dwell,
- Apparailled , proude of ;
- The seven they sell,855[ ]
- In is .[ ]
- Of mattér they wollen mell,[ ]
- And hem is ;
- To the people they ben fell,
- And holde hem lower then doth the .860
-
- For the tythinge of a ducke,
- Or of an apple, or an ,
- They make men upon a boke;
- Thus they foulen Christes fay.
- yvell ,865
- They mowen , they mowë shryve;
- With mennes wyves strongly play,
- With tillers sturte and stryve
-
- At the , and at the wake;
- And chefe chauntours at the nale ;870
- , and make,[ ]
- Hoppen and houten with heve and hale .
- At fayrë freshe, and at wynë stale,
- Dyne and drinke, and make ;
- The seven set at ;875
- kepe the kayes of ?
-
- Mennes wyves they wollen holde;
- And though that they ben right sory,
- To they shull not be so bolde
- For to the consistory;880
- And make hem mouth “I ,”
- Though they it sawë with ;
- His lemman holden openly,
- No man so hardy to axë why!
-
- He wol have tythinge and offringe,885
- Maugrè who-so-ever it gruche;
- And on the woll singe;
- Goddes prestes nere none suche!
- He on hunting with dogge and bic[c]he,
- And blowen his , and cryën “hey!”890
- And sorcery usen as a ;
- kepen yvell Peters key.
-
- Yet they have stocke or
- Gayly paynted, and proudly dight,
- To maken men upon,895
- And , that it is full of might;
- sette up greet light,
- Other stockes shull therby
- As darkë as it were midnight,
- For it makë no ma[i]stry.900
-
- ,
- , worchest wonder thinges;
- that, that men offren to ,
- Hongen broches, ouches, and ringes;
- The preest purchaseth the offringes,905
- But he nill offre to none image;
- Wo is the soule that he for singes,
- That precheth for suche a pilgrimage!
-
- To men and women that ben ,
- That ben [ ] Christes lykenesse,910
- Men shullen offre at dore
- That suffren honger and distresse;
- And to suche imáges offre lesse,
- That not felë thurst ne ;
- The in gan blesse,915[ ]
- Therfore offreth to feble and .
-
- Buckelers brode, and ,
- † , with baselardes kene,[ ]
- toles about necke they honge;
- With Antichrist preestes ;920
- Upon dedes it is well sene
- they serven, they hono[u]ren;
- Antichristes they clene,
- And goddes goodes fa[l]sly deuouren.
-
- Of scarlet and grene gownes,925
- That be shapë for the newe,
- To clippen and kissen counten in townes
- The damoseles that to the daunce sewe;
- Cutted clothes to sewe hewe,
- With longë pykes on ;930
- Our goddes gospell is not trewe,
- Eyther they serven the divell or !
-
- ben prestes pokes so wyde,
- must enlarge the vestëment;
- The holy gospell they hyde,935
- For they contrarien in rayment.
- preestes of Lucifer ben sent,
- conquerours they ben ,
- at ars y-pent,
- the truthe they han .940
-
- suchë wollen aske is,[ ]
- And woll men crepë to the crouche;[ ]
- None of the , save askes ,
- Without[ë] mede shall no man touche.
- On their warant vouche,945
- That is lawe of the decrè;
- With mede and money thus they mouche,
- And † , they , is charitè!
-
- In the middes of masse
- They nill have no man but for hyre,950
- And, full shortly, let forth passe;
- shull men finde[n] in shyre
- That personages for desyre,
- To live in lykinge and in lustes;
- I not , sans ose ieo dyre ,955
- That ben Antichristes preestes.
-
- Or they yef the why,[ ]
- Or they ben in his servyce,
- And holden forth harlotry;
- ben of feble empryse.960
- Of goddes grame men agryse ,
- For mattérs that taken mede;
- they excuse hem, and in what wyse,
- Me thinketh, they ought drede.
-
- They , that it to no man longeth965
- To reprove † , though they erre;
- But falsely they fongeth,
- And therwith wo and werre.
- dedes be as bright as sterre,
- mannes light;970
- They , the popë not erre,
- Nede that passë mannes might.
-
- Though a prest with his lemman al night,
- And tellen his felowe, and he him,
- He goth to massë ,975
- And sayeth, he singeth out of sinne!
- His bryde abydeth him at his inne,
- And dighteth his dyner the whyle;
- He singeth his masse for he wolde winne,
- And so he weneth god begyle!980
-
- Hem thinketh till they be met;
- And that they usen forth all the yere;
- the when he is ,
- He holdeth no man his pere;
- Of the he hath powére985
- To soyle men, or els they ben lore;
- His make † skere;
- And wo is the that he singeth !”
-
- The Griffon began for to threte,
- And sayd, “of monkes canst thou ought?”990
- The Pellican sayd, “they ben full grete,
- And in this world moch wo hath wrought.
- Saynt Benet , that order brought,
- Ne made hem never on manere;
- I trowe, it never in his thought995
- That they shulde use so powér[e];
-
- That a man shulde a cal,
- Ne serve on kneës, as a .
- He is as as prince in pall
- In , and , and [ ] all thing;1000
- Some myter and ,
- With double worsted well y-dight,[ ]
- With royall and riche ,
- And rydeth courser as a knight.
-
- With hauke[s] and with houndes eke,1005
- With broches or ouches on his hode,
- Some no masse in all a weke,
- Of is moste .
- With lordshippes and with bondmen
- This is a royall ;1010
- Saynt Benet made never none of hem
- To have of man ne .
-
- they ben queynte and curious,
- With cladde, and served clene,
- Proude, angry, and envyous,1015
- Malyce is mochë that they .
- In crafty and covetous,
- Lordly liven in ;
- This is not religious
- to in his .1020
-
- They ben clerkes, courtes they ,
- fully they flyte;
- The that a man amerced be,
- The gladlyer they woll it wryte.
- This is from Christes povertè,1025
- For all with covetyse they endyte;
- On the they have no pitè,
- Ne never hem , but ever hem byte.
-
- And suche ben comen
- Of people, and of hem begete,1030
- That this han y-nomen;
- not but on fete,
- And travaylen sore for that they ete,
- In povert liveth, yonge and ;
- suffreth drought and wete,1035[ ]
- Many hongry meles, thurst, and .
-
- this the monkes han forsake
- For Christes love and saynt ;
- To pryde and have hem take;
- This religio[u]n is yvell .1040
- Had they ben out of religioun,
- They must have honged at the ,
- and fro to
- With sory mete, and not .
-
- Therfore they han this all forsake,1045
- And taken to riches, pryde, and ;
- Full fewe for god woll monkes hem make,
- Litell is suche order for to prayse!
- Saynt Benet ordayned it not so,
- But hem be [ ] cherelich ;[ ]1050
- In
Finis.
- They have the loof and we the crust,
- They eten more than kinde hath craved;
- They been ungentle and unjust,
- With sinners shullen such be graved.
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